The flight was from Manchester airport, with Monarch, to Athens. (I
travelled to and from Manchester by rail - the return fare was £17.50
as I travelled outside peak times. It's essential to get a reserved seat
on these services, as they resemble refugee trains!)

The trip had been limited to certain dates and for that reason,
the flight was £199 each (inclusive). The booking was made a few
months in advance.

The plane (in both directions) was an Airbus A300-600R. It was
not full, which was just as well, as the seat configuration does not really
allow for six-footers, and I had the seat next to me to spread into. I
would have otherwise spent a very uncomfortable 3.5 hours each way. Apart
from this, the outward flight was unremarkable.

**** A T H E N S ****

Lycabetta Hill.

It is worth noting that Athens taxi drivers, from the airport, should
not be believed when they say they know where your hotel is! At 01:45 however,
you are really at their mercy. The amount on the meter is a point to negotiate
from. They charge extra because it's dark, for each piece of luggage, for
driving round in circles asking directions, because their mother needs
a hip replacement, because the Pope is Polish. It's VERY important to establish
the exact destination before starting, especially if it's a small street.

Our destination was the "Hotel Acropolis View" (Tel:(01)921-7303
Fax:(01)923-0705), on Webster (Street), just off Robertou Galli, two hundred
yards from the entrance to the Acropolis. The rate was Drs.21,000 per night
for a double room. I would rate it as 2-3 stars in the U.K. You get a balcony
with, if you ask, a view of the Acropolis. The view from the roof is pretty
good. A good start for newcomers. Breakfast is Drs.1500 extra. (There is
an Email address - hotel@netplan.gr - but nobody seems to read the mail!)

Entrance to the Acropolis is now Drs.2000. Concerts at the open-air
Herod Atticus theatre had not started at the end of May.

L to R - Hotel Acropolis View from the Acropolis,
and various other views taken at the summit.

I'm surprised Lycabetta Hill is not mentioned in the overview of Athens
in the book - the view is spectacular, and it's a must for first-timers.
There is a funicular, INside the hill, to the top, from Doras Distria -
Drs.500 return. (Advisable for those NOT in their national Olympic teams.)
The bar at the top is a rip-off - Drs.1000 for a large Amstel beer. Take
your own and sit on the wall drinking it while viewing the city.

Due to the new Metro line construction, Syntagma and Omonia squares
are both total eyesores. Omonia is even more of a third world reugee camp
than usual.

**** P I R A E U S ****

The ferry to Rhodes was arranged by fax from London, through "Sfigakis
Travel", 8 Omirou Street (near Syntagma). (I SWEAR I'm not on commission!)
It is run by Yannis Sfigakis and his wife. Lovely people - very friendly
and helpful. Tel:(01)331-5993 Fax:(01)325-5195.

Sunday in Piraeus is Market Day - chaos. A taxi from Athens will
cost about 25% extra, due to the congestion. The metro is Drs.75 one-way,
between Athens and Piraeus.

McDonalds, opposite the Saronic Gulf ferries, provides a sane
oasis, where you can gather your thoughts. Also, the toilets are "female-approved".

The Greek Navy

The "Central Travel Agency" inside the Metro station will look
after luggage if asked nicely. There is also a left-luggage office which
looked less than reliable.

The ferry to Rhodes was the G&A Lines "Marina". A two-berth
ouside cabin was Drs.20,000 each. "Marina" is not "top-of-the-range" but
more than adequate. Get on early and install yourself on one of the triangular
shaped bench-and-table arrangements under a thatched(!) roof on the stern
deck. Pole position! (Most of the two-berth cabins are at the front of
the ship, so you get a good nights sleep.)

On board the "Marina"

It sailed at 16:00 and arrived in Rhodes at 12:00 next day. Sunday
was a good day to travel to "see" lots of islands - a 30 minute "snap-shot"
of each. The route was Syros, Paros, Naxos, Patmos, Leros, Kalymnos, Kos
and Rhodes. (Naxos - Kalymnos was midnight to 06:00.)

**** R H O D E S ****

At Rhodes, "Marina" docks at the end of the quay in the commercial harbour,
out past the customs building.

****Taxis and Rhodes old town.****
Taxi drivers at BOTH harbours will tell you that they are not allowed
into the old town. If you have luggage, this is NOT TRUE!

(The old town is officially closed to traffic 13:30-17:00 and
22:00-10:00.)

Rhodes Old Town

The reason they do not want to take you is that it is only a "minimum
fare" journey, a lot of aggravation and they want the fares to "Fairly-Rocky"
(Faliraki). The trick is to announce your destination only AFTER getting
in. Police man all the blocked entrances to the old town and WILL open
them to taxis carrying passengers with luggage. Drs.1000 is a fair amount
to pay after having duped one of the drivers. Call a tourist police officer
if there is any problem. If you think you can manage because your bags
have wheels, forget it. The cobbles are designed to waste ANY bag!

Scenes near the ferry port

On Rhodes we stayed at "Stavros Bar"/"Sunlight Hotel", 32 Ipodamou.
(Old Town.) Tel:(0241)21435. The rates are Drs.6-7000 for a double room.
Some even have roof-top verandas. All have bathrooms. It is predominantly
English, but caters to a very mixed clientele. American naval personnel
are much in evidence if "the fleet's in". Take a football club penant for
his wall to endear yourself to Stavros and his two barmen - Peter-1946
and young Peter(!). All but one of the rooms are far enough away from the
bar to avoid the late-night noise. Beware of Stavros' water pistol. Don't
ask for coffee - you will be told very loudly that his bar is not a hospital(!).
Most drinks (beer and spirits) are Drs.600 each.

A good average restaurant down an alleyway, 100 yards from "Stavros'"
is the "Symposium". A bit "flash" by Taverna standards (butter with the
bread) but not a rip-off.

The Villa Cleobulos - Laurence Durrell's residence 1945-1947 -
looks sadder than ever. The new, nearby, Hotel "Rodon" is **nowhere** near
ready (May 1997). I would say May 1998 would be a better guess.

The story on bungy-jumping is that due to a recent death, caused
by less than adequate safety straps, the "sport" is on hold.

**** S Y M I ****

To avoid the day-tripper crowd, the best ferry to catch to Symi is "Symi-1".
There is an afternoon departure most days at about 18:00 - arriving Symi
at 20:00. You are then treated to a dramatic sundown entry to the harbour.
The single fare is Drs.1400 if paid for on the boat, or Drs.2000 if bought
at the desk on the harbour-side opposite Karpathou. (The day-tripper boat
operators are still denying the existence of this service!) (There are
other, better ways to see Panormitis than going on the morning departures.)

On board "Symi-1"

On Symi, Symi-1 and Symi-2 (the newer, catamaran shaped boat)
dock on the north side of the harbour, near the NEW Ionian bank buiding,
which has an ATM (accepts ALL cards). The taxi rank however is opposite,
on the south side. A taxi up to Horio is Drs.500-1000, depending on the
amount of luggage and number of passengers. It's a lot further to drive
than to walk.

Don't even THINK of trying to get up to Horio (the village) with
your luggage, via the (just under 400) steps of the Kalistrata. (P.S. Although
the lower part of this *looks* "sinister" after dark, it is perfectly safe.)

Views from the Horio.

We had booked a room (from UK) through the "Jean & Tonic"
bar. It was the "Lemonitissa" studio, which was Drs.9000 per night. It
has a *spectacular* view of the harbour, (blocked slightly by the dome
of the large church) from its private veranda. You occasionaly have to
put up with (lost) Germans taking photos of the view. Most locations up
there also suffer from the noise from chickens!

Various scenes in Symi

The village is totally self-contained and the harbour area can be avoided
during the day-tripper "rush-hour". Entrance to the museum is now Drs.500.
Finding it is like an episode of the Crystal Maze. Drinks at the "Jean
& Tonic" (only open 8 p.m. - 6 a.m.) are a bit pricey after 9 p.m.
(happy hour). If you are "lucky" you will be treated to the sight of Jean
using her TV remote control. It is a length of 4-by-2 that she wields while
standing on a bar stool! Biscuits from the bakery two doors away are wonderful.

The two hotels in Horio are very reasonably priced. (Double room
rates quoted - inclusive of breakfast.) The hotel "Horio/Village" (Tel:(0241)71800/71801/
72258 Fax:(0241)71802) during May and June - Drs.8000, July - Drs.13000
- August - Drs.15000. (During July & August you also get air-conditioning.)
It's a very "pretty" building with a central courtyard, but with no views.
The "Fiona" (Tel/Fax:(0241)72088) is Drs.6000 in April, Drs.8000 in May
and June and Drs.10000 in July and August. The rooms have views of the
harbour and beyond. (These prices made us think that the Studio prices
were a bit "steep".)

The Kafenion at the top of the Kalistrata; Syllogos restaurant

Of the daytime bars in Horio, the Kafenion is probably the best.
The service, smiles and welcome are outstanding, and the beer is cheap.
Drs.700 for a large Amstel in a frosted glass, with "nibbles". (The day
we left, the owner even organised a lift into town for us when the taxi
failed to materialise!)

Two of the restaurants in Horio are "Syllogos" (Greek for "Meeting Place"),
which was formerly "Panorama", and the ubiquitous "Georgios". "Syllogos",
although run by a very energetic husband and wife team, suffers from a
lack of staff. When busy the waiting between courses can get tedious. The
walls are decorated with scale model sailing ships, which can be purchased.
The food is good - on a quiet night.

Georgios

On the other hand, "Georgios" always serves excellent fare, which you
choose from an excellent selection in the kitchen. There are no menus.
The restaurant is ALWAYS busy. A good meal for two, with a litre of house
wine is about Drs.6000. You can normally expect live music - often with
the man himself on accordion.

Scooters (new 80 c.c. Piaggios) can be hired near the Symi-1 berth.
Daily rates are Drs.3000 for a one-seater or Drs.5000 for a two-seater.
Full insurance is an extra Drs.2000 and given the state of the roads is
a good bet.

Pedhi "beach" is in an awful state, resembling a cross between
a building site and a boat yard. Access to Ayia Marina and Ayois Nikolaos
no longer seems to exist - one of the paths ends in a fenced-in farmyard,
the other just disappears. I suspect that there is active discouragement
in operation, in favour of the water taxis. Seek local advice - if you
can find any.

The coastal path to Emborio is currently being concreted. At the
time of our visit it was impossible to even get there by scooter as the
road was blocked by constructon equipment. Except on foot or by boat, I
think there is now no way of getting to any beach, from the town, with
the exception of Nos. This situation may change without notice - again
seek local advice. (Water taxis can be found in front of the *OLD* bank
building at the harbour.)

The monastry of Panormitis is well worth a visit. To gain admittance,
make sure you are soberly dressed. The entrance fee is Drs.200. There are
four ways to see it.
(1) On the way to the island from Rhodes, on one of the tourist boats.
(2) On a day trip boat from Symi town - **recommended**
(3) By truck - a "tour" that meets up with the boat from (2).
(4) Under your own steam - by scooter etc.
With (1) and (2) you are limited to a very rushed half hour visit as
well as being surrounded by dozens of other tourists. Occasionally there
are also other boat-loads disgorging at the small jetty. With (2) and (3),
the boat follows the monastry visit with a "barbecue" lunch on a small
nearby island. The truck ride (3) is in the back of an open pick-up truck,
with wooden seats. The ride can be hair-raising, especially on the hairpin
bends. It is debateable whether it is safer than (4). By scooter/motorbike
is is quite an arduous journey (it should probably be described as quite
dangerous) - the tarmac road surface only gets you half way - to the Nanou
turn-off. Ruts and loose rocks make for a very unsteady ride. The numerous
hairpin bends are quite taxing for the novice rider. Having said that,
the views that you can stop to admire are stunning - especially your first
sight of the monastry from high on the hills overlooking it.

**** T H E . R E T U R N . J O U R N E Y ****

We caught the 15:40 sailing of the large "Symi-2" catamaran back to
Rhodes. It was overrun with large - *LARGE* - German tourists. We again
stayed at "Stavros" bar in the Old Town.

On board the "Rodos"; German "Gin Palace" in Kos; Kaymnos; sunset

The next day (June 5th) at 14:00 we caught the Dane Lines "Rodos"
ferry to Piraeus. It arrived at 08:30. (The ferry operators seem to be
sticking to their time-tables like glue!) On Rhodes, the berth used by
Dane Lines is next to the Port Police and OTE offices.

On board the "Rodos"

"Rodos" called at Kos (18:00), Kalymnos (20:00), Leros (21:00) and Patmos
(22:30). The "Rodos" is a little more 'plush' than the "Marina", but there's
not much in it. If anything, it is more comfortable on deck on the "Marina".
The fare was Drs.17,500 each for the two of us - we had a four-berth inside
cabin to ourselves.

Athens airport - the only tips -
(1) take your own refreshments - drinks at the bar are expensive -
(2) cigarettes and perfume are cheaper than in Rhodes and on Monarch
Airlines.
There are now signs everywhere in the departure areas forbidding laying
on the floor (!) (despite inadequate seating) and smoking. The no-smoking
signs were being totally ignored.